Where it all began

Part 4

Hi all I know it’s been a while since my last post sorry to leave you all on the ‘do you want me to get his muzzle just in case he bites you’!

A lot has changed over the last few months, I left my job in TV publishing and events after 10 years at the company as I have now gone full-time with my business Hayley’s Hounds and couldn’t be happier. Working with dogs full time who wouldn’t right?

Ok back to getting Kobi. Well after she said that I looked at my husband who was standing right behind her, and I calmly said no it’s ok and my husband reached round and shut the car door (as it was only a 3 door car). Once he shut the door my mate looked at me and said, ‘I am not driving you back and have the dog attack you in the back of my car’. I said calmly again its ok trust me just drive. I had to keep calm for Kobi but inside I was raging!!

I know this is going to be very controversial, but I hate muzzles on dogs. Ok, if a dog needs one because they have attacked another dog or worse, well, OK, but to be fair as owners, you should have trained your dog better, or don’t get a certain dog bread you can’t handle. However, Kobi under no circumstances needed a bloody muzzle. I don’t know what she was trying to achieve by saying this: she couldn’t keep the dog, as she had made the wrong discussion to get a dog like Kobi with young kids and cats the dog was so stressed he needed out of that home asap. She wanted a support dog for her when she was on her own at the weekends, and her kids were at their dad’s.

Rant over…. You know what Kobi did in the car on the way home with me as we sat in the back seat together, he put his paws on me and looked out of the window the whole way. He didn’t bark, panic or try to get out, and he certainly didn’t bite me, it just goes to show she had no clue about Kobi, I thought in the car ride back, I’m so glad you're with us now you will be safe and happy, and I’m sure it won’t be too long until you find your paws.

When we arrived home, we got Kobi out of the car and straight into our house. He was stressed, panting and walking around the living room. We got a baby gate as we didn’t want to overwhelm him with the whole house at first, we just wanted him to get to know downstairs first. Also, we wanted to put his bed where he felt comfortable, which was by the front door, of course, I guess by the front door, he can see everything from there or too make his escape when he could lol! It is so important with dogs from abroad not to overwhelm them, and where they lie down, put their bed there as this is where they feel as comfortable as they can be at first. You have to give them their own space, as this might be the first time they have ever been inside a home you just don’t know.

Think about when you're in a new environment it is overwhelming, like when you start a new job and you are in an office you don’t know for the first time, it takes time to get your bearings and settle into that office, same with a dog in a new home environment.